Abu Dhabi Sovereign Fund triples its Bitcoin exposure: ≈ $518M in BlackRock ETF before the correction
The Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC), an independent arm within the Mubadala Investment Co. umbrella, tripled its exposure to Bitcoin through the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) by BlackRock during the third quarter of 2025. As of Sept 30, ADIC's holding reached roughly 8 million shares, equivalent to approximately $518 million.
- ADIC increased its IBIT stake from ≈ 2.4M to ≈ 8M shares in Q3 2025 (≈ +230%).
- The position was valued at ≈ $518M as of 2025-09-30; following the market correction it is now estimated around $450M.
- The exposure is via a spot ETF, providing institutional custody while not equating to direct control of private keys.
What happened: During Q3 ADIC concentrated purchases of IBIT shares, substantially raising its stake. The accumulation closed before Bitcoin hit an all-time high near $126,000 in early October and the subsequent correction that pushed prices below $90,000.
Scale and context: The increase represents a rise from ~2.4 million to ~8 million shares (≈ +230%). Combined with Mubadala's earlier moves in 2025, ADIC and Mubadala now control over 16.7 million shares in IBIT, consolidating significant combined exposure via ETFs.
ADIC manages a portion of Abu Dhabi's sovereign assets, which together exceed $1.7 trillion. For a fund of this scale, an allocation of ≈ $518M represents under 1% of total assets, leaving room for potential further accumulation.
Main drivers behind the move
Reduce oil dependency and seek alternative store-of-value assets.
Use of spot ETFs to mitigate custody risks and satisfy institutional requirements.
The move positions Abu Dhabi as a key player in the regional and global crypto ecosystem.
The large-scale accumulation of IBIT shares implies real buy pressure on Bitcoin during ETF creation; however, the later market correction trimmed ADIC's position value by roughly 13% from its peak, highlighting timing risks even for institutional investors.
On social channels, the news sparked debate: some see this as evidence of long-term accumulation by "strong hands," while others note that ETF exposure does not equal direct control of private keys.
Technical outlook: Analysts are watching support in the USD 85,000–88,000 band. Holding that range could reduce immediate liquidation risk; a break below would increase the chance of mechanical selling from leveraged books.
ADIC's decision to triple its IBIT exposure reinforces institutional adoption trends but also subjects sovereign funds to the same market risks faced by other investors. Short term has seen some value erosion; long term the move signals intent to include Bitcoin as a strategic, diversified reserve asset.